64% decrease in militancy incidents in 2020, says MHA report

Srinagar: Year 2020 has seen sharp decrease in militancy related incidents and civilian casualties in J&K, a Ministry of Home Affairs’ report has revealed.

As per the report title ‘Major activities of MHA during 2020 – A summary of important developments during the year’ the number of militancy incidents in 2020 “decreased by 63.93 percent as compared to the corresponding period in 2019” in J&K.

It says that there was also a decrease in fatalities of Special Forces Personnel by 29.11 percent and a decrease in casualties of civilians by 14.28 percent in 2020 as compared to the corresponding period in 2019.

A senior MHA official told Greater Kashmir that 42 civilians were killed in militancy related incidents in J&K in 2019. “As compared to this, 32 civilians were killed in J&K in 2020,” he said, adding that in 2019 as many as 78 security forces personnel were killed in J&K. “In 2020 as many as 56 security forces personnel were killed in J&K.”

“Incidents of violence have reduced significantly in Kashmir after August 5 last year and security forces have achieved major success against militants,” the senior MHA official said, adding that soon after the abrogation of Article 370, “militancy-related activities reduced by around 36% in Kashmir last year”.

“Some wanted militants like Hizbul commander Riyaz Naikoo, Lashkar commander Haider, Jaish commander Kari Yasir and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind Burhan Koka have been killed by security forces in 2020,” the official said, adding that the security forces have also busted lot of militant hideouts in Kashmir besides recovering huge weapons including scores of AK 47 rifles.

Ever since the abrogation of J&K’s special status, the MHA official said that both the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) have witnessed an escalation in ceasefire violations. “There were 5,100 instances of ceasefire violation along the LoC in 2020 in Jammu and Kashmir,” the official said. “It was the highest in nearly 18 years that claimed 36 lives and left more than 130 people injured.”

He said that there were 3,289 ceasefire violations along the Indo-Pak border in 2019. “Of these, 1,565 ceasefire violations took place since August 2019, after the abrogated Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two union territories,” he said, adding that the number of ceasefire violations in 2020 was over five times that of 2017 when 971 cases were reported in which 31 people including 12 civilians and 19 security forces personnel were killed and 151 suffered injuries.

“The corresponding figures for 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 were 347, 114, 62, 44, and 28. There were 77 violations in 2008, 21 in 2007 and three in 2006.” (AGENCIES)